Indicating pull socket



Nov; 19,1929. H. HUBBELL INDICATING PULL SOCKET Filed Sept. 21 1926 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITED st 1.

HARVEY Hum-B LL, 0F BRIDGEPOBT, connncrIc -r; Lo UInfE.v HUBBELL EXECUTRIX or HARVEY HUBBELL, nncnasnn v e INDICATING BULL SOCKET Application filed September 21, 1926. Serial No. 136,746.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation o1": a pull socket involving my invention, a portion of the enclosing shell being broken away to illustrate part of the internal mechanism.

Fig. 2 is avertical section through the device showing the screw shell contact in elevation, and omitting the enclosing casing.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. '2 showing the switch-in the oil position.

- I Fig. {l is a top plan View of the switch showing the operating mechanism in the extreme advanced position. I i

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the same plane as Fig. '3 showing thesw-itch in the on "position.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation looking from the left of Fig. 2 and showing the switch in the on position, a portion of insulating blocks being broken away to more clearly shown the construction. I

Fig. 7 is a transverse section substantially on line 77 of Fig. '2.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the operating disc.

Fig. 9 is a top plan View of the movable switch member.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation thereof looking toward the bottom of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11is a side elevation of the switch member looking from the right of :Fig. .9, and

'Fig. 12'is adetai l section showing a device for holding one end of the operating spring.

"The switch mechanism and the lamp conta'cts are enclosed in the usual sheetmetal shell composed of detachable body and cap seotionsil and 16 respectively, and which has the usual insulating lining 17. The switch mechanism is mounted between two spaced insulating blocks 18 and '19 of porcelain or other suitable material, and the lower block also carries the usual lamp contacts comprismg a screw shell contact '20 and a central springconta'ct 21. The two insulating blocks 18 and 19 are held in proper spaced relation by the binding posts '22 and 23 carrying the usual binding post screws 24 and 251espectively for attachment to the loads 26 from the house wiring system. The screw shell is electric-ally connected to the hind lng post by means of the screw 27 (Figs. 5, 6 and 7) which also clamps the shell and the binding post to the block 19. The screw 'shellis also secured to "this 'block'at theopposite side of the shell by the rivet 28'.

The block 19 is provided on its lower surface with a transverse groove having inclined side walls 29 in which't'he foot oi? this-central vcontact 1s seated, and this toot has on'the opposite side edges thereof inclined wings -30 to rest against these inclined walls, and the contact is clamped in this groove by means of a rivet 31 passing through the block. This arrangement for mounting the contact clamps 1t securely 1Il position and prevents it t-urnmg sidewlse. These inclined wings seated 1n the beveled groove or recess in the insulatingblock wedges it in and prevents turnlngo-tf this contact on the eyelet or rivet 31, and therefore, no soldering is necessary.

On the opposite face of the lower block 19 it is provided withcurved inclined walls 32 which terminate in upright shoulders 33. Adjacent the high parts of these inclined walls are recesses in which are mounted the stationary contacts 34 and 3 5, and therecesses are of sulficientdepth to provide a shoulder 36 at the rear of each contact. Contact 35 is connected to the block 1-9 by rivet or eyelet 31 which also secures the central lamp contact 21 to this block, and which rivet also forms an electrical connection between {the central lamp contact and the stationary contact-34e The other stationary contact is connected to the binding post 22.

Extending :between the two insulating blocks 18 and 1,9 is a stud .37 which projects at its lower endinto, a socket inthe .block 11 9 in which is a spring'38 tending to force the stud upwardly. At its opposite end the stud has a square head 39 seated in a similarly shaped recess 40 in the upper block 13' to iold. the stud against turning movements. Mounted torotate on this stud is a movable switch member 41 which in the present construction is shaped substantially, as shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11. It has contact feet 42 arranged to slideon the inclined walls 32 of the engage the ratchet teeth 43 to rotate the switch member 41 with a step-by-step movement by theoscillating movements of the disc.

This disc rests on thetop of the switch member. A; coiled spring 47embraces'the stud 37 and one end 48 ofthis spring is held stationary by passing through an opening in the head 33 of the stud whilethe other end 49 engages one side wall of thelarge-opening 46 in the oscillating disc. This spring tends to rotate the disc backwardly or in-the clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs; 3, '4 and 5. The disc;is operated in the forward or counter clockwise direction manually through a flexible pull member. This member is preferably of the'usual ball chain 50 passing through the bell-mouth guide 51 and detachably connected to the disc. The connection 52 has a socket 53 at one end to receive a ball of the chain Ianda hook 54 at the opposite end passing through, an opening 55in the disc.

I In operation, assuming the switch is in. the

. off position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,

the feet 42 of the switch member rest on the lower part of the inclined surfaces 32 and at the base of the shoulders33, so that they are out of engagement with the stationary con-' was 34 and 35. If nowthe chain 50 is, pulled outwardly ordownwardly the insulating disc is turned in the counterclockwise direction to the position shownin F ig. 4. During this movement the feet of the switchmember ride on the inclined surfaces" 32 and force the switch member '41 together withthe insulating disc 44 upwardly on the stud 37 to the dotted line position of Fig. 2 and in the plane of the full line position of Fig. 6. During this movement the shoulders at one side of the openings 45 in the disc44 are in engagement- With the ratchetteeth 43011 the switch mem ber 41 and will cause this switch member to jturnwith the disc; This will bring the feet "-42 of the switch member into engagement F with the stationary c0ntactsi34 and 35, thus bridging these contacts and .closing the circuit, and if the pull on the chain is released the spring 47 will swing the insulating disc 44 backwardly to the position shown in Fig.

5. However, during the forward movement of the disc it has been shifted upwardly to the plane of a stop" 56 carried by the binding post 23, and as the disc is shifted 'backwardly by the spring this backward movement is limited by engagement ofthe-shoulder57 on the disc with the end of thestop-finger 56. The elements are now in the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and the switch is in the on position. During this backward movement of the insulating disc the switch member 41 has been held stationary by engagement of the ends of its feet with the shoulders 36 in the inclined walls, and therefore, the openings 46 in the disc are shifted relatively to the switch member so that the walls at one end 2 thereof engage the teeth 43 onv the switch member. If now the pull chain is again pulled outwardly the insulating disc 4.4.is moved counterclockwise to the position of Fig. 4, and

the coaction of the walls of the openings 46" in the disc 44 engaging the'teeth 43 .on the switch member willshift this switch member over the stationarycontacts 34 and 35, and will cause it to drop. off of these contacts under the action of spring 47 to their original position at the'lower portion of the inclined walls 32,- as shown at Fig. 2. The switch is now in the ofi? position,-and if the pull on the chainis'jreleased the insulating disc 44 will be returned by spring 47 to its-original position shown in Figs. 1,-2 and 3. It is to be noted thatwhen the'swit'ch members drop oifthe stationary contacts and the highest part of the inclined-walls,the insulating disc 44 is also shifted downwardly out of'the plane 2 i of the stop finger 56, and therefore, this finger motion of the disc and it may be returned by the spring 47 to its extreme retracted position withthe shoulder 58 in engagement with one side of the binding post 23. Also as there from the higher, to the lower surfaces ofv the is no longer effective to arrest the rearward :is a considerabledrop for the switchmember inclined walls 32 Isecure a relatively large i break which allows a very small chance for any arcing between the contacts. 7

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the insulating disc. is itself a part. of the ratchet by which the movable switch member is given its step-bystep' movement. It-is also evident that the different heights ofthe inclined walls 32'of the insulating block cause this disc member. or ratchet to turn in two difierentparallel' planes, and. that in the upper or"on. position of theswitch its rearward movementis limited .by the stop .56 engaging. the shoulder. 57 which elements are so located as'to' prevent, entire retraction of this disc, while when the discis in the lower 1 position is outof theplane ofthe stop 56 and it may be retracted to its extreme rear position with the shoulder58 in engagement with the binding post 23. long pull for the chain to move the switch to the on position and a short pull to move the switch from the on position to the off position. This difference in the pull required for operating the switch will indicate to the operator to which position the switch has been shifted should the lamp be burned out or the power off. This feature may also be used to give a visual indication, because it will be apparent that when the switch is in the on position a greater portion of the chain is exposed than when the switch is in the off position, and therefore, by placing an enlarged ball 59, or other element differing from the balls of which the chain is made up, in the chain so that it is drawn into the guide 51 when the switch is in the off position, this element will be spaced outwardly of the guide when the switch is in the on position and will thus form a visual indication of the position of the switch. This is a very desirable feature as in the pull sockets now generally on the market there is nothing to indi cate whether the switch is on or oil.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a pull socket, a rotatable switch member, an oscillating member having a ratchet connection with said switch member to rotate it with a step by step movement, said oscillating member being mounted to turn in two different planes, stops in said planes located to hold the oscillating member in different angular positions, means connected to said member to operate it in one direction to shift the switch member, and a spring to swing the oscillating member in the opposite direction.

2. In a pull socket, a rotatable switch member, an oscillating member having a ratchet connection with said switch member to rotate it with a step by step movement, said oscillating member being mounted to turn in two different planes, stops in said planes to limit the reverse movements of said member and arranged to hole it in different angular positions, a flexible pull member to swing said oscillating member in the opposite direction to operate the switch member, and a yielding member tending to move the oscillating member toward said stops.

3. In a pull socket, a rotatable metal switch member having a ratchet tooth, an oscillating insulating member providedwith shoulders integral therewith to coact with said tooth to rotate the switch member with a step by step movement, a flexible pull element connected to said oscillating member to swing it in one direction, and a spring tending to swing it in the opposite direction.

4. In a pull socket, a rotatable metal switch member having one or more ratchet teeth, a

Thus there is a' disc of insulating material mounted for oscillating movement and provided with openings forming shoulders to coact withsaid teeth to rotate the switch member with a step by step movement, a flexible operating member connected to said disc to swing it in one direction, and a spring tending to swing said disc in the opposite direction.

5. In a pull socket, arotatable switch member, an oscillating member having a ratchet connection with said switch member to rotate it with a step by step movement, said oscillating member being mounted to turn in two different planes, stops in said planes located to hold the oscillating member in different angular positions, aflexible pull member to swing said oscillating member in one direction, a spring tending to swing said member in the opposite direction against said stops, and indicating means movable with said flexible memberto indicate by its position the position of the switch.

6. In a pull socket, a rotatable metal switch member having one or more ratchet teeth,

a disc of insulating material mounted for oscillating movements and provided with openings located in different angular positions about the center of oscillation and providing shoulders to engage said teeth .to rotate the switch with a step by step movement,

and means for oscillating said disc.-

'Z. In a pullsocket, a rotatable switch memher, an oscillating member having a ratchet connection with said switch member to rotate it with a step by step movement, said oscillating member being mounted to turn in two diiferent planes, stops in said planes located to hold the oscillating member in different angular positions, and means for swinging the'oscillating member in opposite directions to operate the switch member.

8. In a pull socket; an insulating block, a stud mounted in said block,a rotatable switch -member on said stud, an insulating disc mounted for oscillating and sliding movements on said stud and having ratchet conncction with the switch member to rotate it with a step by step movement, inclined walls onthe-b'lock upon which the switch member slides, limit stops to hold the oscillating memher in different angular positions when the switch member is on the higher and lower parts of the inclined surfaces, andmeans for OSClllQtlllg said disc.

9. In a pull socket, an insulating block, lamp contacts mounted on one side of the block, a stud on the other side of the block, a switch member mounted for rotary and sliding movements on said stud, an oscillating member mounted for sliding movement on the stud and having ratchet connection with the switch member to rotate it with a step by step movement, said block'having inclined walls upon which the switch member slides, contacts on the higher portions of said inclined'rwalls one of which is connected to one of the lamp contacts, a binding post connected to the other contact, stops locatedin differcnt planes arranged to hold the oscillating member. in different angular positions when the switch member is at the lower portions of the walls and when it is in engagement with the contacts on said walls, and means for opcrating the oscillating member.

10 In a pull socket, an insulatingblock having inclined walls terminating in shoulders at the higher portions thereof and having recesses in these higher portions, contacts mounted in said recesses, a rotatable switch member having feet slidable on said inclined walls and adapted to bridge said contacts, an oscillating member having ratchet connection with said switch member to rotate it with a step by step movement to move it to and from engagement with said contacts, stops arranged to hold said oscillating member in difierent angular positions inxthe different positions of theswitch member, a flexible operating means for shifting said oscillating member in one direction, and a spring to shift it in the 1 opposite direction.

11. In a pull socket, an insulating block having inclined walls terminating in shoulders at the higher portions thereof, stationary contacts mounted on the higher portions of said walls, lamp contacts on the opposite side of the block, a'connection from one lamp contact to one of the stationary contacts, a retatable switch member having feetslidable on said inclined walls and adapted to bridge the stationary contacts, an oscillating member having ratchet connection with said switch member to rotate it with a step by step movement to shift said feet to and from engagement with the stationary contacts, a binding post connected to the other stationary contact, a binding post connected to the other lamp contact, cooperating stop means on one of the binding posts and the oscillating member to hold it in different angular positions in difi'erentpositions of the switch member, and means for shifting the oscillating member to operate the switch member.

12. In a pull socket, a rotatable metal switchmember having lugs, an oscillatable switch-operating member consisting of a fiat plate ofinsulatmg material having openings -providing shoulders to engage said lugs and advance the switch member step by step when oscillated, manual means for operating said.

switch operating member in one direction, and a spring for operating said latter member in the opposite direction.

I I v In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

HARVEY HUBBELLQ 

